Worship Team
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Being part of any worship team is an honor, form of service and privilege allowed by God. We are here to serve God and the body that He has entrusted to us. It is not about us. The primary function, then, is to lead the congregation in true worship under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth”. (John 4:24)
CALLING
It is very important for those who participate in the Worship Team to feel that they are “called and anointed” to the ministry of worship. We believe in the operation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the order of Service at Living Hope.
SUBMITTING TO AUTHORITY
Not every decision made will make everyone happy. There will be times you will not agree with the Worship Leader, nor will she always agree with you. However, the position is a position of authority, and the ultimate decision is hers to make and should be respected. If intervention is needed to correct the leader, the Pastor will initiate and guide this process.
Romans 13: 1-2
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”
PREPARATION
Serving on a worship team takes time and effort. While we are striving to serve the Lord and not draw attention to ourselves, there is an aspect of performance involved. Preparation is sacrificial and essential. It is part of our service to Jesus and the body we serve. This performance is for Jesus; we should strive for excellence. Worship team members are expected to be prepared by practice on Thursday evening. By this point, it is expected that members of the team will know the songs well and be able to proficiently play or sing their various parts of that week’s set (vocal parts, stops, changes, riffs, leads, patches, tones etc). Between Thursday and Sunday, worship team members need to review the set and the notes for each song and run through them. This all takes great discipline. In a perfect world, by Sunday we know the songs well enough that we are worshiping with the body!
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
If there is a conflict, you are first encouraged to lay it before God honestly and see what He has to say to you. The question to be asked of yourself is, “Is this a problem with someone else or simply a problem with me?” If the issue persists, you will first talk to the individual that you have the conflict with, and if there is still a conflict you will come to the worship team leader and discuss it with her. If you need counsel about an issue before the previous steps or about something you are dealing with personally, then approach the worship leader. If you have an issue with the worship leader, after praying about the situation and praying for the worship leader, you can call, text, email, or schedule a time to speak with the worship leader. There will be NO conflicts presented on Thursday night worship practice night or Sunday morning practice or worship service.
Matthew 18:15: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. “
HOW WE CARRY OURSELVES
Worship team members are expected to live a lifestyle that is above reproach, avoiding even the appearance of evil. (I Tim 3). Being a minister, who is up front, adds extra responsibilities because people see us as examples of what a Christian should be like. Therefore, it is imperative that we consider the way we treat each other and carefully guard our hearts from impurities and pride.
▪ It is God’s desire and our desire to see our worship team members living a victorious Christian life, free from bondage. If there are any addictions or issues with which you struggle, please let us know – we are here to help you, not to judge you.
The following issues should be dealt with before any public ministry position is taken:
-
▪ Alcohol and drug abuse. Sexual immorality
-
▪ Prideful attitude. Anger and rage problems,
-
▪ Inability to submit to leadership, gossiping and stirring up strife
-
▪ An unbiblical lifestyle
ATTENDANCE
Members will be expected to be faithful and honor God in their service, part of that is attendance. Weekly rehearsals are required, and members should arrive ON TIME, ready to work on the designated material. Poor attendance and showing up late for rehearsals demonstrate a lack of discipline and respect for the Lord’s ministry. Those who are unable to attend rehearsals should not expect to participate in the Worship Team the following Sunday.
PROSPECTIVE NEW WORSHIP TEAM MEMBERS
Members must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is consistent and growing through prayer, Bible reading and church fellowship. In addition you need to be aligned with “What We Believe” which you can find in our 101 course offered each month. Also perspective worship team members will undergo an auditioning process. This will include interviews, a musical audition, and a probationary period. The purpose of this is to determine one’s abilities and to see if they are a good fit with the Living Hope Worship Team. One may or may not be asked to serve on the main team. However there are many other places within the Worship Ministry you may be asked to serve.
TECH SIDE OF THE TEAM
You are just as important as everyone else and what you do matters. All of our tech team members are important members of the music ministry. Tech team members are required to arrive in such a fashion as to have everything up and running by the time the team arrives. 10-15 minutes early is plenty. The aforementioned Attitudes, Actions, Attendance and Appearance policies are expected as well.
TRAINING
All members of the worship team are expected to pursue Jesus and grow in their faith through personal Bible study as well as being diligent in continually growing in skill as it pertains to their abilities. There are lots of ways to improve your skills (the internet and YouTube are awesome resources!) Additionally, musicians and vocalists should have open hearts to receive advice, correction, training, and should be committed to becoming proficiently skilled at their ministry.
STAGE PRESENCE
Do not let the congregation determine your level of expression. Sometimes they will not be engaged in worship. As leaders, we always need to be engaged. Show them an example of how to express worship. Most of the time, they simply need to see worship in order to learn how to express it on their own.
Be sincere. Worship from your heart. Give a warm smile from within. We are leading people from all different circumstances, so remember that a warm smile ministers more than you realize.
If you have any questions, concerns or are struggling, don`t hesitate to contact the worship leader at cvonschill@aol.com.